A tribute dedicated to the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna located in downtown Los Angeles was recently vandalized. But thanks to an uber famous good samaritan, it just might be getting restored to its former glory sooner than later.
As we all know by now, the former Lakers superstar and his child were killed back in 2020 in a shocking helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of seven other people. In the years that followed, countless murals have been placed all over the city in remembrance of the NBA superstar.
One in particular, pictured above and located less than a mile away from the Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as the iconic Staples Center), showed Bryant kissing his daughter on the cheek with the phrase “Mamabas Forever” written next to it, referencing the pro basketball players “Black Mamba” nickname. That mural was vandalized according to Sloe Motions, the artist who created it, via an Instagram post.
As a result, he set up a GoFundMe to raise money to get the artwork cleaned up and restored. While the goal was only $500, it didn’t take long for the artists to get all the funds he needed and way more thanks to one surprise donor: new Lakers player Luka Dončić.
The former Dallas Mavericks player was recently traded to the Lakers in the middle of the season back in February. The ordeal was huge at the time and since he’s been on the team, the Slovenian basketball star has continued making headlines for his stellar skills on the court. Now however, he’s become the talk of the town in a different way after it was revealed he donated $5,000 to fix the aforementioned mural on Tuesday, covering the initial ask with plenty left over.
When asked why he felt compelled to give back in that way, Dončić explained to the Los Angeles Times:
“It was always important to give back to the community. They gave me so much, so I just want to give back. Kobe is L.A. He and Gigi mean so much to this city, to the Lakers organization and to me personally. I’m happy to do anything to help make sure he and his daughter are honored.”
This moment feels a bit full circle, especially considering the Dončić and Bryant mural that was painted a couple months back commemorating his new move to the beloved L.A. franchise. After Sloe Motions found out it was Dončić who covered the expenses, he thanked him in a followup post to Instagram and that prompted other fans to express their gratitude, too.
“Thanks @lukadoncic !!! Can’t spell Luka without LA,” wrote one user.
“Make him a Laker 4L [for life],” said one other user.
Added another, “Kobe murals are sacred. This means so much, thank you @lukadoncic.”